Real-time river flooding
across America.
Live USGS streamgauge readings, FEMA flood zones, NWS flood watches and warnings, and historical context — one map, refreshed throughout the day. Built for flood researchers, emergency managers, and outdoor recreationists.
What's happening right now
An AI-generated daily summary stitched from active streamgauge readings, NWS warnings, and watershed status.
**URGENT FLOODING ALERT:** A severe flooding emergency is unfolding across multiple regions of the United States, with streamflow levels reaching catastrophic proportions in dozens of communities. The crisis comes as a developing coastal storm threatens the East Coast with prolonged flooding and severe beach erosion from Florida to the Carolinas and Mid-Atlantic states, while Hurricane Trudy batters Mexico's Pacific coast. Hardest-hit areas include communities along the Wichita River watershed in Texas, where water levels have exploded to an unprecedented 84,686% of normal flow, and the Buffalo-San Jacinto region near Houston, experiencing flows at 17,074% of normal—creating life-threatening conditions for residents.
**TEXAS AND GREAT PLAINS FACE UNPRECEDENTED CRISIS:** The situation in Texas is particularly dire, with communities near the Brazos River facing catastrophic flooding at 32,449% of normal streamflow (159 cubic feet per second compared to typical 0.49 cfs). The Wichita River basin, affecting communities around Wichita Falls, has become an inland sea with flows reaching 5,530 cfs—nearly 850 times normal levels. Similarly devastating conditions plague the North Wichita and South Wichita watersheds at 61,830% and 54,202% of normal respectively. The Little Wichita area shows flows at 19,108% of normal, threatening widespread property damage and potential loss of life. Emergency officials in these regions are urging immediate evacuations as levees strain under the unprecedented water volumes. The Farmers-Mud Creek watershed is experiencing flows at 79,259% of normal, while the Lower North Fork Red River near the Texas-Oklahoma border shows catastrophic levels at 28,850% of normal.
**MIDWEST, APPALACHIA, AND WEST ALSO SEVERELY IMPACTED:** The crisis extends far beyond Texas, with Iowa communities along the Des Moines River system facing severe flooding at 1,566% of normal flow, particularly threatening Des Moines and surrounding areas. The Richland watershed in Washington State shows alarming levels at 5,210% of normal, while communities along Ohio's Upper Scioto River near Columbus confront dangerous conditions at 4,731% of normal. West Virginia is experiencing multiple flood emergencies, with the Tygart Valley region at 4,164% of normal and the Buckhannon River at 4,119% of normal, threatening Grafton and Philippi. The Little Kanawha River basin affecting Parkersburg shows flows at 4,788% of normal. Meanwhile, Colorado River headwaters communities are experiencing flows at 22,385% of normal, and the Santa Ana River in Southern California registers 5,117% of normal, compounding concerns as the region simultaneously faces threats from the developing nor'easter. Authorities warn that with additional rainfall from the coastal storm system, these already critical conditions could deteriorate rapidly, urging residents in all affected areas to monitor emergency broadcasts and prepare for immediate evacuation.
Rivers currently flooding or rising
Live USGS streamgauge readings aggregated by river. Percent-of-normal compares current flow to the seasonal average.
| River | Observed (cfs) | Seasonal avg (cfs) | vs. Normal |
|---|---|---|---|
| Neosho River | 246 | 19 | ↑ 1302% of normal |
| Black Warrior River | 427 | 1,510 | 28% of normal |
| Verde River | 3,750 | 279 | ↑ 1344% of normal |
| Satilla River | 5,850 | 499 | ↑ 1172% of normal |
| Suwannee River | 1,740 | 7,150 | 24% of normal |
| Alamosa River | 477 | 54 | ↑ 884% of normal |
| Middle Raccoon River | 589 | 79 | ↑ 749% of normal |
| Delaware River | 1,790 | 189 | ↑ 950% of normal |
| Santa Cruz River | 51 | 1 | ↑ 3938% of normal |
| Wichita River | 5,530 | 7 | ↑ 84686% of normal |
| Tiffin River | 646 | 55 | ↑ 1183% of normal |
| White River | 246 | 39 | ↑ 631% of normal |
| Gauley River | 3,780 | 255 | ↑ 1482% of normal |
| Blackwater River | 655 | 36 | ↑ 1822% of normal |
| Guyandotte River | 1,220 | 79 | ↑ 1537% of normal |
| Piedra River | 1,570 | 90 | ↑ 1744% of normal |
| Conecuh River | 3,840 | 266 | ↑ 1442% of normal |
| Republican River | 845 | 94 | ↑ 895% of normal |
| Cedar River | 33 | 197 | 17% of normal |
| Colorado River | 366 | 2 | ↑ 22385% of normal |
| Tombigbee River | 5,394 | 7,930 | 68% of normal |
| Animas River | 5,000 | 739 | ↑ 677% of normal |
| Conejos River | 1,156 | 132 | ↑ 878% of normal |
| Teton River | 401 | 25 | ↑ 1627% of normal |
| North Canadian River | 7,450 | 245 | ↑ 3046% of normal |
| Iowa River | 4,980 | 743 | ↑ 671% of normal |
| Buckhannon River | 2,430 | 59 | ↑ 4119% of normal |
| Alapaha River | 1,170 | 27 | ↑ 4333% of normal |
| Samish River | 29 | 52 | 55% of normal |
| Mahoning River | 452 | 43 | ↑ 1046% of normal |
| Chariton River | 833 | 14 | ↑ 5950% of normal |
| Raccoon River | 1,310 | 193 | ↑ 679% of normal |
| Youghiogheny River | 305 | 37 | ↑ 824% of normal |
| Williams River | 976 | 64 | ↑ 1525% of normal |
| Cranberry River | 768 | 51 | ↑ 1506% of normal |
| Uinta River | 386 | 33 | ↑ 1171% of normal |
| Green River | 450 | 629 | 72% of normal |
| Myakka River | 943 | 274 | ↑ 345% of normal |
| Thief River | 1,130 | 80 | ↑ 1413% of normal |
| Middle Fork River | 1,500 | 28 | ↑ 5455% of normal |
40 rivers are running elevated right now. Create a free account to see the full list, follow your rivers, and get alerts.
Create Free AccountWatersheds running elevated
Aggregated by HUC8 watershed code. Useful for catchment-level flood-risk assessment.
| HUC8 code | Watershed | Observed (cfs) | vs. Normal |
|---|---|---|---|
| h03160106 | Middle Tombigbee-Lubbub | 1,024 | 61% |
| h15060203 | Lower Verde | 3,750 | ↑ 1344% |
| h12030108 | Richland | 466 | ↑ 5210% |
| h09020304 | Thief | 1,130 | ↑ 1413% |
| h17110002 | Strait Of Georgia | 29 | 55% |
| h17110013 | Duwamish | 450 | 72% |
| h03110202 | Alapaha | 1,170 | ↑ 4333% |
| h10280201 | Upper Chariton | 833 | ↑ 5950% |
| h03110205 | Lower Suwannee | 1,740 | 24% |
| h17110012 | Lake Washington | 23 | 59% |
| h12040104 | Buffalo-San Jacinto | 461 | ↑ 17074% |
| h11130206 | Wichita | 5,530 | ↑ 84686% |
| h14080102 | Piedra | 1,570 | ↑ 1744% |
| h05010008 | Kiskiminetas | 1,010 | ↑ 1010% |
| h11140204 | Red Chute | 246 | ↑ 1258% |
| h10030203 | Marias | 401 | ↑ 1627% |
| h11130201 | Farmers-Mud | 642 | ↑ 79259% |
| h14060002 | Ashley-Brush | 215 | ↑ 717% |
| h05010006 | Middle Allegheny-Redbank | 847 | ↑ 1235% |
| h11100302 | Lower North Canadian | 5,250 | ↑ 2612% |
| h11100301 | Middle North Canadian | 2,200 | ↑ 5052% |
| h07100008 | Lake Red Rock | 209 | ↑ 1646% |
| h10200203 | Salt | 722 | ↑ 633% |
| h03100102 | Myakka | 943 | ↑ 345% |
| h14060003 | Duchesne | 739 | ↑ 882% |
| h14080101 | Upper San Juan | 1,833 | ↑ 841% |
| h05060001 | Upper Scioto | 615 | ↑ 4731% |
| h11130101 | Groesbeck-Sandy | 1,837 | ↑ 5103% |
| h05120203 | Eel | 312 | ↑ 2409% |
| h05070101 | Upper Guyandotte | 1,917 | ↑ 1894% |
| h05030103 | Mahoning | 452 | ↑ 1046% |
| h03140301 | Upper Conecuh | 3,840 | ↑ 1442% |
| h03080103 | Lower St. Johns | 24,348 | 126% |
| h03080101 | Upper St. Johns | 8,430 | ↑ 149% |
| h07080104 | Flint-Henderson | 486 | ↑ 1045% |
| h03160201 | Middle Tombigbee-Chickasaw | 4,370 | 70% |
| h07100007 | South Raccoon | 589 | ↑ 749% |
| h11120303 | Lower North Fork Red | 14,800 | ↑ 28850% |
| h13010005 | Conejos | 1,156 | ↑ 878% |
| h11130205 | South Wichita | 1,290 | ↑ 54202% |
| h11130204 | North Wichita | 5,880 | ↑ 61830% |
| h07100006 | North Raccoon | 1,310 | ↑ 679% |
| h07100009 | Lower Des Moines | 22,000 | ↑ 1566% |
| h02070001 | South Branch Potomac | 741 | ↑ 1300% |
| h03160113 | Lower Black Warrior | 427 | 28% |
| h10250017 | Lower Republican | 845 | ↑ 895% |
| h05020006 | Youghiogheny | 305 | ↑ 824% |
| h05020004 | Cheat | 655 | ↑ 1822% |
| h05020005 | Lower Monongahela | 303 | ↑ 979% |
| h11130209 | Little Wichita | 150 | ↑ 19108% |
| h05020003 | Upper Monongahela | 235 | ↑ 1382% |
| h05020001 | Tygart Valley | 4,256 | ↑ 4164% |
| h05050009 | Coal | 1,440 | ↑ 1378% |
| h07080107 | Skunk | 217 | ↑ 1009% |
| h07080207 | Upper Iowa | 816 | ↑ 1067% |
| h15060102 | White | 246 | ↑ 631% |
| h12060101 | Middle Brazos-Millers | 159 | ↑ 32449% |
| h11070201 | Neosho Headwaters | 246 | ↑ 1302% |
| h15050301 | Upper Santa Cruz | 51 | ↑ 3938% |
| h11090202 | Lower Canadian-Walnut | 717 | ↑ 4243% |
| h05050005 | Gauley | 5,524 | ↑ 1493% |
| h07080105 | South Skunk | 701 | ↑ 1111% |
| h05050007 | Elk | 1,270 | ↑ 1649% |
| h07080205 | Middle Cedar | 516 | ↑ 639% |
| h12080002 | Colorado Headwaters | 366 | ↑ 22385% |
| h03180002 | Middle Pearl-Strong | 435 | ↑ 7909% |
| h18070203 | Santa Ana | 719 | ↑ 5117% |
| h18010204 | Lost | 285 | ↑ 626% |
| h04100006 | Tiffin | 646 | ↑ 1183% |
| h07120004 | Des Plaines | 484 | ↑ 135% |
| h07080208 | Middle Iowa | 5,605 | ↑ 698% |
| h07080209 | Lower Iowa | 201 | ↑ 804% |
| h05030203 | Little Kanawha | 1,130 | ↑ 4788% |
| h10270103 | Delaware | 1,790 | ↑ 950% |
| h13010001 | Rio Grande Headwaters | 1,115 | ↑ 966% |
| h13010002 | Alamosa-Trinchera | 477 | ↑ 884% |
| h05140102 | Salt | 724 | ↑ 1762% |
| h11130302 | Upper Washita | 634 | ↑ 5261% |
| h05130202 | Lower Cumberland-Sycamore | 4,860 | ↑ 607% |
| h14080104 | Animas | 5,000 | ↑ 677% |
| h10290101 | Upper Marais Des Cygnes | 458 | ↑ 1991% |
| h03070201 | Satilla | 5,850 | ↑ 1172% |
| h07130001 | Lower Illinois-Senachwine Lake | 113 | ↑ 1027% |
83 watersheds are running elevated. Create a free account to see every basin.
Create Free AccountMonitoring & response toolkit
Everything on this page links into Snoflo’s gauge-level data — drill from a national view down to the readings on a single river.
Gauge-level flow reports
Every USGS streamgauge by state — live discharge, gage height, NWS flood stages, and the complete observation history.
Browse gauges →15-day flow forecasts
PULSE probabilistic outlooks on every gauge — median, likely range, and projected stage, refreshed daily.
How PULSE works →Engineering data & reports
Flow-duration statistics, observed peak context, CSV exports, and printable conditions reports for any gauge and date range.
Snoflo for Engineering →Interactive national map
Layer gauges, warnings, watersheds, rain, and recreation across the country on one map.
Open the map →What causes river flooding
Flooding is rarely a single-cause event — multiple factors usually compound. The most common drivers across the U.S.
Heavy rainfall
Persistent rain saturates soils and overwhelms drainage networks. Tropical systems and atmospheric rivers are the worst culprits.
Rapid snowmelt
Spring melt pulses can deliver months of accumulated water in days — especially when warm rain falls on existing snowpack.
Ice jams
Breakup ice can block channels, forcing water to back up and inundate upstream banks. Common on northern rivers in early spring.
Storm surge
Coastal hurricanes push seawater inland. Surge combined with rainfall is the deadliest flood scenario in U.S. history.
Reservoir releases
Controlled dam releases can dramatically increase downstream flow. USACE and USBR publish release schedules, but conditions change fast.
Burn scars
Wildfire-stripped slopes can't absorb rainfall — even modest storms produce dangerous flash floods on burned watersheds for years afterward.
Flood preparedness checklist
Floodwaters rise faster than most people expect. The basics that save lives.
Flood map & river monitoring FAQ
What does "percent of normal" mean?
The current flow at a gauge compared to its seasonal average for this date. 100% means flow is right at the historical norm. 200%+ means twice the typical flow — a strong indicator of flood conditions on small-to-medium rivers. Every gauge-level flow report shows its live percent-of-normal.
What's the difference between a flood watch and a flood warning?
Watch: conditions are favorable for flooding within the next 12–48 hours. Warning: flooding is happening or imminent. Both come from the National Weather Service. Snoflo overlays both as toggleable layers on the map above.
How often does Snoflo's data refresh?
USGS streamgauge readings update every 15 minutes; we re-pull every hour. NWS warning polygons update as the NWS issues them — usually within 5 minutes. FEMA flood zones are static (the National Flood Hazard Layer is updated quarterly).
What is the FEMA flood zone layer?
FEMA's National Flood Hazard Layer (NFHL) shows the 1%-annual-chance ("100-year") and 0.2%-annual-chance ("500-year") floodplains. These are based on long-term hydrologic modeling, not current conditions. Useful for property risk; not a real-time signal.
Can I get an alert when my local river floods?
Yes. Save any USGS gauge as a favorite in the Snoflo iOS app, set a threshold (e.g. "alert me at 20 ft stage"), and you'll get a push the moment it crosses. Free with a Snoflo account.
Is Snoflo a substitute for official warnings?
No. Snoflo is informational. For life-safety decisions always follow guidance from local emergency management, the NWS, and law enforcement.
Get pinged before your river crosses flood stage.
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